Over 2,000 global stars register for Access Bank Lagos City Marathon
More than 2,000 international elite athletes from across the world have registered for the Gold-Label Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, setting a record of entries for any marathon in Africa. The race holds on Saturday, 4 February.
The General Manager of the race, Yussuf Alli said at the weekend that: “The elite entries would have been more, if the organisers had not regulated it to a barest size over a week ago, towards effective and efficient management of the race. The large size was expected at it is one of the effects of a Gold-Label race. And Nilayo Sports Management is ready for it”.
Alli said that majority of the elite athletes are from Europe, East Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Asia and South America.
“And out of the pool of registered international elite athletes, the organisers have officially invited 47 male and 29 female world class athletes that will lead the bunch of first class athletes in the race. The rest will compete to chase the Gold-Label status as they continue in their quest to garner requisite international points to attain first class elite status as they grow professionally”, he further said.
Alli also said: “The Lagos City Marathon’s quest to attain to the Platinum Label race status, which is uppermost in the desires of the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited will be boosted if two male elite athletes can finish the race under two hours 10 minutes and three female athletes finish under 2 hours 12 minutes”.
A former African record holder in the long jump, Alli said that, for the eighth edition of the race, the athletes would have their running numbers in front and their names at the back of their competition jerseys.
